Automatic door closing device with detent to hold door open

ABSTRACT

1,213,890. Door closing and latching device; stays. OPTIMUS A.B. 26 June, 1968 [30 June, 1967], No. 30566/68. Headings E3F and E2M. A door closing and latching device comprises a spring-actuated shaft 10, pivotally mounted in the housing of the device (not shown), which carries a swing arm 11 pivotally connected by a pin 12 to a link arm 13 the pin being non-rotatably connected to the swing arm, for connection with the door via fitting 13d, the link arm having lugs 15 and 16 through which the pin passes and between which is supported a cam plate 21 having at least one latching recess 28 for engagement by a spring-operated plunger 29 to latch the arms against relative rotation, the plunger being displaceably mounted in the link arm, and a spline coupling between the pin and the cam-plate. When the link arm is subjected to a certain load, the plunger snaps out of the recess allowing closure of the door. The tension of the plunger spring 31 may be adjusted by turning a screw plug 32. In a modification, the pin 12 has a further splined wheel at its lower end which cooperates with a splined ring in the hole of the swing arm to allow adjustment of the pin in different positions of rotation relative to the swing arm.

G. NILSSON Dec. 1, 1970 AUTOMATIC DOOR CLOSING DEVICE WITH DETENT TO HOLD DOOR OPEN Filed Jun 21. 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 NM PM 5 w /////A/ /A Ga among Dec. 1, 1970 v ssou I 3,543,327

AUTOMATIC DOOR CLOS ING DEVICE WITH DETENT TO HOLD DOOR OPEN Filed June 21, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

nited States 3,543,327 AUTOMATIC DOOR CLOSING DEVICE WITH DETENT TO HOLD DOOR OPEN Gunnar Nilsson, Eskilstuna, Sweden, assignor to Aktiebolaget Optimus, Upplands Vasby, Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Filed June 21, 1968, Ser. No. 739,109 Claims priority, applicasiggi/gyeden, June 30, 1967,

Int. oi. E051 3/22 US. Cl. 16-49 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention is concerned with an automatic door closing device of the type having a shaft rotatably mounted in the housing of the device and which for the purpose of closing the door is actuated by a spring in one direction of swing, the shaft carrying a swing arm which at its one end is pivotally connected with one end of a link arm. The other end of the link arm is intended to be pivotally secured to the door when the housing of the closing device is attached to the wall above the door opening or to the door frame itself. Obviously, if the link arm is pivotally secured to the door frame or to the wall, the housing of the door closing device together with the swing arm will be mounted on the door. Either arrangement is conventional.

The object of the present invention is to provide a releaseable detent mechanism which enables the arms to be latched in selectable angular positions, to hold the door in a corresponding open position.

This is achieved by :means of the door closing device according to the invention which is characterized in the annexed claim.

Two embodiments of the door closing device according to the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawmgs.

FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section through the swing arm and the link arm in a door closing device of known design;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the two arms;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section of a modified design of the pivot between the arms; and

FIG. 4 is a section through the line 4-4 in FIG. 3.

The door closing device proper, which is not shown in the drawings, is of the type which comprises a housing in which is displaceably mounted a plunger operatively connected with a rotatably mounted sleeve into which the shaft in FIG. 1 is capable of being inserted and locked in a known manner. The plunger is spring operated so that the shaft 10 is spring actuated in one swinging direction, i.e., the direction in which the door is closed. A swing arm 11 is attached to the shaft 10.

The swing arm 11 is pivotally connected at its outer end with a link arm 13, by means of a pin 12. The link arm 13 comprises an outer sleeve 13a and a nut member 13b which is pivotally connected to said sleeve 13a by a pin 14 and which is capable of being adjusted by a screw atent .0v

130. Pivotally connected at the outer end of the screw is a fitting 13d, which is intended to be attached to a door when the housing of the closing device is fastened to the door frame or to the wall above the door frame.

The outer end of the sleeve-like part 13a of the link arm 13 is fork-shaped and presents two lug members 15, 16. The pin 12 passes through holes 17, 18 disposed in said lugs 15, 16 and is pivotally mounted therein. The hole 17 is larger than the hole 18, and accordingly the pin 12 presents in relation thereto a large diameter at 19 and a small diameter at 20. The pin 12 supports between the lugs 15, 16 a cam plate 21 which in the shown embodiment is adjustably arranged on the pin by means of a splined wheel 22 positioned on said pin and a corresponding inner splined ring 23 positioned in the hole in the cam plate. The cam disc can therefore be mounted in the desired position of rotation relative to the pin 12.

The lower end 24 of the pin 12 is of square cross section, which fits into the corresponding, essentially square hole 18 located in the end of the arm 11. The pin 12 is fixed in its axial position by means of a nut 26 and a washer 27.

To provide for the latching of the device the cam plate is provided with a latching recess 28, in which a latching plunger 29 engages and latches in the shown position the arms 11, 13 against relative rotation. This position constitutes a desired open position for a door provided with the door closing device. The latching plunger 29 is displaceably mounted in an axial hole 30 in an end wall within the sleeve 13a. The end wall forms the bottom of a cylindrical recess in the sleeve, where a compression spring 31 is positioned between a flange 29a on the plunger 29 and a screw plug 32. The tension of the spring is adjusted by turning the screw plug 32. The rear end of the plunger 29 is guided by a hole in the rear of the plug.

The pivot connection between the members 13a and 1230 enables the member to be swung to one side to facilitate dismantling of plug 32. The link arm 13 can be easily adjusted to the desired length by means of the screw 13c.

As can be seen from FIG. 2 the latching recess 28 and the end of the latching plunger 29 are designed so that the latching plunger can slide out of the latch recess when the arm 13 is subjected to a certain load. This means that the door remains open or ajar in the position determined by the latch recess. The door can be closed, however, by exerting a certain pressure on the door in the closing direction thereof, whereupon the latching plunger 29 springs back and slides out of the latching recess. The cam plate 21 with its recess 28 thus constitute a releaseable detent mechanism.

FIG. 3 shows a variation of the invention, in which the pin 12 is provided with a splined wheel 34 which cooperates with a corresponding, internal splined ring 35 positioned in the hole located in the end of arm 11. Thus, in this instance the pin 12 can be adjusted in different positions of rotation relative to the arm 11. In certain instances this adjustment is more easily accomplished in the alternative embodiment than in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. In other respects this pivot functions the same as that shown in FIG. 1, in that it has been provided with a cam plate presenting a latching recess into and out of which a latching plunger can snap in the manner described above.

I claim:

1. In an automatic door closing device of the type including a shaft rotatably mounted in the housing of the device and which for the purpose of closing the door is actuated by a spring in one direction of rotation, a swing arm secured at one end to said shaft, and a link arm pivotally connected at one end thereof to the opposite end of said swing arm, the opposite end of said link arm being adapted to be pivotally secured to the door when the door closing device is secured to the door frame or wall, or vice versa, the improvement wherein one end portion of said link arm is fork-shaped and terminates in two parallel lug members having aligned holes therein for mounting a pivot pin connecting adjacent ends of said link arm and swing arm, a cam plate located between said lugs and non-rotatably mounted on said pivot pin, said cam plate being provided with at least one latching recess, a spring-operated latching plunger displaceably mounted in said link arm and which engages said cam plate and the latching recess therein thereby to releaseably hold the door open against the door closing force exerted by said swing arm, the portion of said pivot pin which is engaged with said link arm permitting rotation of said link arm about the axis of said pivot pin, and the other portion of said pivot pin which is engaged with said swing arm being provided with a splined ring which engages a UNITED STATES PATENTS 661,563 11/1900 Stockford 28714 X 1,225,322 5/1917 Forth 1'6-49 1,646,406 10/ 1927 Isley 1649 X 1,687,009 10/ 1928 Drexler et al 1649 1,749,979 3/1930 Lasier 16--49 DAVID H. BROWN, Primary Examiner I. A. CALVERT, Assistant Examiner US. 01. X.R. 237-14 

